'Tis the season of schedules adjusted, deadlines tweaked and expectations put in abeyance, and in that spirit of the holidays I offer this respite to you and yours -- a podcast-free November has stretched languidly into a December unencumbered by new episodes of The Membrane. I suggest you take advantage of this break by getting some sleep, eating lots of fat and sugar and enjoying some well-deserved television.

Audio transmission will resume upon my reacquisition of the control of time and space. When will that be, exactly? There's no telling. But I'm thinkin' early January.

Sometimes you set out to go wading, to just take a little dip, and you end up spelunking into places you had no intention to explore, places where coming out the other side intact is such a remote possibility that the only sane thing to do is report the location, reverse course and head back to camp. And so I give you this podcast. Perhaps it can serve as a warning to others who get the notion that speaking in a foreign accent can be entertaining.

The good news is I've got it out of my system now, and podcasts where we hear interviews with more sensible people are the bright promise of the near future.

There was an extra week between episodes due to an escape to the beaches of my boyhood, and from there I have brought back the requisite ruminations, as well as a penchant for profuse alliteration.

While it's interesting to hear folks talk about where they're from, there's something alluring in their recollections of when they're from. When we recall the times we grew up in, we find that a fondness emerges, an unconscious affection spills out of our memory, a fondness not just for the times gone by, but also for the people we used to be way back when.

People Of The Earth... Pronouncements are the theme of the day as we examine what the people on this planet need to hear. Once again I explore the trailing edge of wisdom's wing and get my foot caught in my ear. Also again, I'm as sorry as I can be about that.

It's the epicurean episode. There's talk of great gobs of gorgeous food, savory juices and sweet succulent desserts. You'll smile, you'll drool, and you'll have to force yourself to not go directly to the grocery store after listening to folks talk about the exquisite act of eating.

In this episode you will embark upon a journey into my head to discover why this podcast is called The Membrane. You will cruise the Seven Cranial Seas and come out the other side changed in powerfully imperceptible ways.

When it's over, you will be stricken with the urge to demand a refund, but do not give in to this urge. Steel yourself. Be brave. Things will get better in the weeks ahead. Or not.